911 GT2

The 993 GT2 matters because it sits at the collision point between two eras. It is the last air-cooled 911 at its most extreme, but also the beginning of Porsche’s modern GT2 lineage: turbocharged, rear-drive, lighter than the Turbo, and always slightly more dangerous in reputation than its contemporaries. The car’s architectural violence was simple and effective. Porsche removed the driven front axle of the 993 Turbo, deleted rear seats and the rear wiper, used aluminium for the boot lid and doors, and fitted thinner glass for the side and rear windows, saving 205 kg compared with the Turbo. In cultural terms, the 993 GT2 is the 911’s dark-room photograph: all the familiar forms are there, but the contrast has been pushed until the image becomes severe.